Navigation standards slammed - Tanker Operator

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Globalstar intends to use the financing
proceeds, as well as cash from its ongoing
business, to fund the design and deployment
of the company's second-generation
satellite constellation, upgrades to its
ground segment and the launch of eight
spare satellites for its current constellation
in early 2007.
The second generation satellite constellation
will continue to provide Globalstar
customers with voice quality, as well as
increased data speeds to both handheld
and fixed subscriber equipment. The second-generation
satellite constellation will
fully integrate ATC and ensure the company's
long-term capability to provide
ATC and other integrated wireless multimedia
satellite solutions.
Earlier this year, Globalstar converted
from a limited liability company into a corporation
and is now known as Globalstar,
Inc. Globalstar is mandated by its organisational
documents to register its shares with
the Securities and Exchange Commission
prior to 13th October of this year.
Over the past two years, Globalstar has
consolidated various operations in the
Americas and Western Europe and opened
a new satellite gateway ground station in
Florida. It is also in the process of constructing
an additional gateway in Alaska,
which will open later this summer.
TO
TANKER
Operator
Hong Kong management concern hits 150 not out
Fleet Management, a member of global
supply chain manager Noble Group,
reached a milestone last March by adding
two new ships to its portfolio taking the
total number of vessels under full technical
management to 150.
Fleet Management reached this mark in
record time having signed its 100th ship 18
months earlier in October 2004, coinciding
with the 10th anniversary of the business.
The company conducted the newbuilding
supervision on the two vessels - a
handymax bulk carrier and a products carrier.
Between 2006 and 2009, a further 20
vessels will be added to the fleet. Fleet
advises owners on their ship construction
across yards in China, South Korea and
Japan.
"While we have experienced relatively
fast growth, our mantra and focus is
always about quality and safety to ensure
our customers receive the highest standards
of service," said Fleet Management
managing director Kishore Rajvanshy.
"We are grateful to our principals for
selecting Fleet Management and we will
continue to expand at a sustainable rate
provided international best practices can
be assured. To have reached this landmark
in only our 12th year is an achievement
RINA issues first Green Passport
Italian classification society RINA has issued
the first Green Passport to an Italian ship.
Issued to Mediterranea di Navigazione's
Ottomana, the document and associated
review scheme encapsulates the voluntary
IMO scheme to document all hazardous
material built into a ship, leading to more
environmentally-conscious ship recycling.
The 25,000 dwt IMO Class II products
/chemical tanker was delivered from the
Celik Tekne yard in Tuzla to Mediterranea
di Navigazione on January 25, 2006. It was
the largest tanker built in Turkey and was
constructed to the very highest environmental
standards, and was awarded the
RINA Green Star. As of the end of March, it
was the first chemical tanker and Italian
vessel to hold a Green Passport.
Ugo Salerno, ceo of RINA says,
"Mediterranea di Navigazione is right at
the forefront of responsible environmentally
conscious shipping. In 2002 it was the
first non-passenger company in the world
to voluntarily opt for higher green standards
for its fleet, and we were proud then
to issue its Shogun with our Green Star logo.
"RINA has carried out a full inventory
of all material on the ship, which will need
to be considered when the ship is repaired
or recycled, and we have devised and put
in place a regular review scheme to keep it
up to date," he continued.
"RINA is our Green Partner, helping us
achieve the highest standards today, not
waiting until pushed into it by legislation
in the future," said Paolo Cagnoni,
Mediterranea di Navigazione's ceo.
The class society's Green Passport
scheme is applicable to all ships and can
be implemented for both newbuildings
and ships in service. It is an inventory of
all materials, which would need special
handling during repair or scrapping, and
an inspection system to maintain the listing
for the life of the vessel. It is a voluntary
application of the IMO scheme outlined
in Resolution A.962(23) Guidelines on
ship recycling, which are expected to
become mandatory in the near future.
Mediterranea di Navigazione is a
shipowning company based in Ravenna,
Italy specialising in petroleum, chemical
and gas transportation. It operates a young
fleet of vessels from 3,700 dwt to 35,999 dwt
carrying out more than 350 voyages per
year carrying over 3 mill tonnes of 70 different
kinds of petroleum products, lubricants,
vegetable oil, gas and chemicals.
and we would like to recognise the quality
systems and committed personnel we
have on our team," he added.
Established in Hong Kong in 1994, Fleet
Management, with more than $1 bill in
vessels under its command and known for
its IT excellence, is one of the largest and
fastest growing ship management companies
in the world, offering a diverse range
AMSTERDAM-based Seaarland Shipping
Management and Denmark-based Nordic
Tankers have signed a joint venture that
will see both companies enter the handysize
products carrier market.
"This latest expansion is part of
Seaarland's focus on a strategic partnership,
which will allow it to consolidate its
position in the products carrier segment,"
said Antonio Zacchello, managing director
of Seaarland Shipping Management.
The joint venture will involve investment
in modern secondhand vessels, as
well as newbuildings. The vessels will be
jointly-owned by both partners in varying
proportions. The first acquisition by the
joint venture, the 2000-built 35,820dwt
Hanne, was to be concluded as
TankerOperator went to press.
"The handysize products tanker sector
is the fourth segment being targeted by
Nordic Tankers' expansion programme. It
is our aim that this strategic partnership
will contribute significantly towards the
of services from inspections, IT, and insurance
to crewing, finance and supervision.
With more than 250 employees ashore
in six countries and 5,000 seafarers, Fleet
Management's global network continues to
expand with a German office scheduled to
open in the second half of this year to add
to offices in Hong Kong, Singapore,
Mumbai and London.
Seaarland and Nordic sign joint venture
company's future revenues and results,"
said Flemming K Soerensen, managing
director of Nordic Tankers.
Seaarland will be fully responsible for
managing the vessels, which will be operated
in the Handytankers pool, currently
consisting of vessels from Seaarland,
Maersk, D'Amico, Motia and CST.
Amsterdam-based commercial ship
manager, Seaarland is part of the
Zacchello group. The Zacchello Group
currently manages 37 modern products
tankers, aframax tankers and panamax
bulk carriers. Between 2006 and 2009, 20
more will be added to the fleet.
Nordic Tankers, owned by approximately
7,000 shareholders through the
investment vehicle Difko 47, is heading for
a stock listing in Copenhagen by early
2007. The current fleet includes three coated
panamax products tankers (including
one newbuilding still to be delivered),
three chemical tankers and two multipurpose
vessels.
Digital Ship Posidonia
‘Bringing Ships Closer to the Sea’
One day conference on 7 June at
the Divani Apollon Palace and Spa, Voula.
This conference has been
arranged to coincide with the
fourth anniversary of Athensbased
AMMITEC. The key speakers
will include representatives from
Hanseatic, Inmarsat, Connexion by
Boeing, Stratos/Xantic, Globalstar,
Iridium, Columbia
Shipmanagement, Palantir,
Wartsila, Datatrac, ShipServ,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7510 0015 Fax: +44 (0)20 7510 2344
Navarik and Worldlink.
Following the conference,
Inmarsat is hosting a party and
banquet for all the delegates.
The conference fee is Eur450
with a reduced fee of Eur150 for
shipping company employees.
This includes lunch and two
coffee breaks, plus the evening
function hosted by Inmarsat.
For more details and to book your place, please contact
leahy@thedigitalship.com, telephone +44 207 510 4939.
Digital Ship Ltd, 213 Marsh Wall, London E14 9FJ, UK
Meet us at Posidonia, stand number 424/H
Need anchors and chains?
www.wortelboer.nl
TankerOperator May/June 2006 page 5